Tag Archives: 100 Days

Meet Antoinette Ratcliffe. She’s an artist who’s living the dream in Auckland and installing candy-colour coated zombies around New Zealand. Antoinette’s installations have been described as being “like a graphic novel we’ve all read at some point in our lives, but can’t quite find that copy of it just at the moment. But it’s there, just under the surface like the story we’re all actually characters in.” We talk to her on Day 68 of our 100 Day Project.

What’s your biggest fear?

Waking up one day and finding out I have become allergic to plaster, or paint, or liquid latex … or cats! That would be pretty bad.

What’s your purpose in life?

To make shiny animals, and sometimes to make animals shiny.

What are you passionate about?

Supporting artists – I love buying art, going to plays and exhibitions. I wish I could do more of it. If ‘Dolly Mixture’ gets another repeat season at The Basement I highly recommend getting a ticket, and if you get a chance to buy a painting by Mica Still, do it!

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

My cat Ma’a, he’s a diabetic so I have to give him insulin and breakfast at 6am… then I get some studio time in before work. I would also get out of bed for shiny or bright coloured things, or Noel Fielding – no wait, I would get back into bed for Noel Fielding.

Everyone has a dirty little secret, what’s yours?

I’m scared of rabbits, the real life ones. They bite and sometimes have maggots burrowing into their skin – yip, I know, nasty.

If today was your last day on earth, what would you do?

I’d Google what I will need to pack for my first day living on the Moon. Do they have zombies there? Are their power points the same as ours? Will I need to get another drivers license? You know, that kind of thing.

What is your happy place?

Lyall Bay early in the morning – rugged up with a Havana soy flat white from the Maranui. I miss you Wellington!

What will you be doing for the rest of 2013?

I’m working on some new characters at the moment so I’ll be developing them for a show next year at the Saatchi and Saatchi gallery in Auckland. I’ll be working on a matchbox for theStrike auction for Amnesty International, and I’ve got a couple of ideas for some proposals too. And I’ll be patting cats too.

Meet Jayson Bryant, New Zealand’s most passionate online wine guy. Inspired by American Gary Vaynerchuck, Jayson embarked on telling stories about New Zealand and its wine industry on his website, UnScrewed. Through Jayson’s stories you’ll discover the art behind wine tasting, how to decant and cellar wine and most importantly, how to, when and at what time you should drink a particular wine. You’ll also find wine and restaurant reviews, Jayson’s blog and the best wine deals around! We talk to him on Day 67 of our 100 Day Project.

What’s your biggest fear?

I have a terrible fear of bad wine. I can make or break an event in your life. I’m a bit like the guy from High Fidelity and his record collection. My life is remembered with what wine I was drinking at what time.

What’s your purpose in life?

I feel compelled to try and get people to eat and drink real food and wine. Most of the wine we, the public, buy in supermarkets at knockdown prices is the true value of the wine. We are being ripped off by big supermarkets. They also limit choice and screw the producers down, some even make a loss to keep a foothold in the market. They are bad for people’s health.

What are you passionate about?

Wine, wine, and oh yeah, food. I love to eat and drink. It’s what keeps me awake at night, but also keeps me active. I try and hunt out all the good food places when traveling. I’m also passionate about organic and biodynamics. It’s where I feel NZ should’ve positioned itself.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Cycling at 5.30. It’s just the safest time to do it in Auckland. People are just so aggressive. It’s like they switch on a nasty side of their personality as soon as they enter a car, bus, or truck.

Everyone has a dirty little secret, what’s yours?

I hated my best mates girlfriend, then wife. I didn’t tell him when I had the chance. He unfortunately died in 2011 and I ruined his funeral. I felt so mean to his family that I could’ve swayed him away from her, and I didn’t. Since then I’ve learnt to say what needs to be said.

If today was your last day on earth, what would you do?

Drink Champagne. As Napoleon once said “In victory we deserve it, in defeat we need it” that’s also my maxim.

What is your happy place?

In a glass of Seresin Sun and Moon Pinot Noir. It’s the best Pinot that NZ makes. Oh, and it’s biodynamic! What’s not to happy about when sipping, ok drinking, a great glass of wine.

If you recognise our latest individual it’s because you may have seen him in the Kleenex Cottonelle Paper Dresses 2012Television Campaign on TVNZ. Meet Tyrone Tautiepa. We’ve been friends for over a decade, prefects for the same house back in high school and, he’s even coached me in basketball! Now Tyrone’s living the fashion dream in Melbourne, Australia with his newly launched fashion label ‘Tyrone James’. Offering a range for both men and women, ‘Tyrone James’ seeks global inspiration in textures and styles and presents this through classic, clean-lined garments. Tyrone’s personal mantra of ‘living it limitless in the relentless pursuit’ is exactly the attitude his garments embody. We talk to him on Day 66 of our 100 Day Project.

What’s your biggest fear?

I decided not to have a fear. Not to be staunch or above anything, I have just found fearing something has hindered my potential in past – not wanting to be too successful, not wanting to not achieve. So I think rather than fear I am more mindful of what I am good at and for the things I feel need more development, I seek for ways to strengthen those.

What’s your purpose in life?

What came first the chicken or the egg? My purpose in life… I would say to experience all it has to offer. Right now my purpose is hours at the sewing machine preparing for our next runway appearance. If I really think about it though, I think my purpose in life is as I said to experience what life has to offer so I can enrich the lives of those around me.

What are you passionate about?

Fashion and Design. I love the challenge! But I think my real passion lies in people because you can learn so much and experience new things. I know some awesome people, each of us striving to do “our” thing, so I like to feed off of their energy.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I would say my day job and Coffee, but usually my partner Michael screaming at me because I’m running late. :S

Everyone has a dirty little secret, what’s yours?

I am still a Disney freak and Saturday morning Cartoons are always on in our house. Not Negotiable!

If today was your last day on earth, what would you do?

I’m a real family man so it would be enjoy my time with those I care about and love, just laughing. I grew up in South Auckland. Laughter and mocking is a way of life.

What is your happy place?

Yum Cha!!!! But more recently the seconds just before our garments go down the runway. Big grins all round!

If you want to know about fashion, culture, or lifestyle in New Zealand then Thread.co.nz is the place to go. In 2001, Thread was launched with a vision to make it the first port of call for readers who wanted to know about New Zealand fashion. Twelve years on, we think it’s definitely safe to say it’s there. Meet Megan Robinson. She likes food, fashion and cats and is the editor of Thread.co.nz. We talk to her on Day 65 of our 100 Day Project.

If you’re connected with UMusic NZ on a social platform, it’s more than likely that you’ve chuckled at something our latest individual has shared with you. Meet Brendon Green. He works in Promotions and Consumer Communications at UMusic during the day and moonlights as a comedian at night. Or, he’s a comedian moonlighting as someone who works for a record company. Either way, we think he’s rather funny. We talk to him on Day 63 of our 100 Day Project.

What’s your biggest fear?
Fully understanding and accepting that everything in life is truly and profoundly meaningless, that nothing I do makes any difference, and that my existence is so thoroughly insignificant it registers as less than zero on the cosmic scale. Also sharks.

What’s your purpose in life?

To be as little of a hindrance to other people as possible. I hate being in the way.

What are you passionate about?

The power of words. I love shaping context with specifically chosen words (mostly to make something go from serious to funny, because funny is almost always better.)

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The pressure of conforming to societies accepted rules of work hours. If not for them, I wouldn’t get out of bed.

Everyone has a dirty little secret, what’s yours?

I sucked my thumb until I was 8 years old. That’s way too long to be sucking your thumb, right?

If today was your last day on earth, what would you do?
I’d re-watch as many episodes of Arrested Development as possible to try catch all the jokes I missed the first 4 times through. Then I’d go hug my Mum.

What is your happy place?

Alone in a café with a book, a notepad, and a pen.

What will you be doing for the rest of 2013?
I’m heading to Edinburgh to perform at the Fringe Festival! And then I guess I will spend the rest of the year telling everyone about the time I went Edinburgh to perform at the Fringe Festival.

*You can read all about Brendon’s Fringe adventures via the NZHerald or you can check out Brendon’s blog: brendongreen.com

Meet Laura Vincent. She’s a Wellington-based food blogger, café reviewer (for the Sunday Star-Times) and a general food perve. She blogs about food but also about herself, she says that 78% of herself is food. She started her food blog back in 2007 when she was a freezing, cash-strapped student and now, just over 5 years later, she’s about to release her very first cookbook by the same name. We talk to her on Day 62 of our 100 Day Project.

What’s your biggest fear?

I’m such a nervous, anxious person, so all kinds of vague nothingness scares me. I fear dying before I get to do everything I want, and I fear the people I love dying and the time I have left with them going so fast that all of a sudden it’s like they were never there at all. I also fear my body and mind breaking down as I get older…also, on a slightly less morbid note: legit terrified of pelicans. Shuddering just typing about them.

Working on my blog or writing deadlines. Coffee. My brain’s strange trick of waking up at 5am.

Everyone has a dirty little secret, what’s yours?

I share so much online that it’s hard to know what’s left that has been untold! I once did, quite earnestly, a project on Killing Heidi for a music class in high school. How’s that? Wait, no, I think I tweeted that once already.

If today was your last day on earth, what would you do?

Do lots of pashing, eat lots of delicious foods, rewatch my favourite episodes of Parks and Recreation (which is what I always do when I need comforting), see how many cats I could steal from the pet shop.

What is your happy place?

Bed, first thing on a Saturday, when I know I don’t have to get up. Customs Brew Bar, a coffee shop in Wellington. In a darkened room, sitting on the floor by a heater, with a cat sleeping beside me. Inside a very good book. Sitting with my eyes closed while someone plays with my hair. Aren’t I lucky to have so many happy places, when I am scared of so many things!

What will you be doing for the rest of 2013?

Doing my very best to make sure my first cookbook, Hungry and Frozen(out 23 August through Penguin) is a success! I love it, I hope other people will, too.

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mac+mae is brought to you by people with a passion for fashion, design, arts, music and all things creative. we want to profile all the new and emerging talent in aotearoa - to give the freshest creatives a chance to lift their profile.

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